S
YOORALLA'S DISABILITY DEBATE
Through Yooralla's Disability Debate, we aim to raise awareness of topical issues in the disability sector.
Fran Vicary -- Yooralla Director Assistive Technology community living and learning discusses.
TECHNOLOGY AS ENABLER...OR NOT?
Isocialise independently, speak my mind, study, work and
pay taxes.
Many people like myself can't use their hands to type or
ccess a mobile or iPad and yet it seems that more and
more devices require a tactile or skin-based response.
This restrictive system is ironically called a 'capacitive inter-
face’ because the skin, usually fnger, has a small electrical
current that activates the screen.
Before this technology was developed, I used to be able
to merely put a standard pen in my mouth and push the
buttons on any computer, keyboard or mobile. New
technology now dictates that I must have a specially
designed stylus so my lips curl around an aluminium
stick attached to a stylus that touches the screen.
Furthermore, I discovered that a computer I recently
requested, especially because it was previously accessible,
had introduced capacitive touch buttons on the mouse pad.
I was devastated. It was as if someone had slammed a door
in my face!
I felt the computer manufacturers taking a very ablest
approach and saying, “unless you can ‘touch’ this
keyboard and use the touch-pad with your warm,
electrically-charged fngers, you’re not worthy to interact
with it".
Not to be beaten, I could use the track-pointer in the
keyboard and have attached a button-driven mouse to
a box beside my keyboard. It works well enough.
This is an example of technological developments
working against their aim of creating greater access
and improving the user interface. This is particularly
prevalent in the disability sector where capacitive
technology is superseding pressure-sensitive technology
and excluding people who use head-pointers – like me.
It should be that technology-design is driven by a set of
principles or standards that ensure no-one is excluded
by new innovations. This suggestion makes sense in the
interest of equal access and in a commercial sense.
People with disabilities will always need to make adjust-
ments. They might use switches, head-pointers or eye
gaze. It is just critical that someone who can use such
devices is not constantly forced to change how they interact
with technology.
You can enter the debate through the Yooralla Facebook
site.
Fran Vicary is a well-known advocate for the rights of
people with disability. She has a Masters in literature and
is former CEO of the Queensland Disability Network.
Fran was on the on the NDIS Advisory Group and the
NDIS Expert Group and is currently director assistive
technology, community living and learning for Yooralla,
Victoria's largest disability service provider
have cerebral palsy from birth, and my physical disability
means I cannot independently dress, shower, feed
myself or do any fne motor tasks. I can, however,
"I was devastated. It was as if someone
had slammed a door in my face!"
ADVERISEMENT